R-Pro › Field cases › Refrigerators & showcases
Normal Operating Pressure Ranges — Reading Against Ambient Temperature
Likely causes
Normal range — condensing saturation ≈ ambient + 17–22°C; evaporating saturation ≈ indoor − 17–22°C
Check: For an R-410A AC at 35°C ambient, 27°C indoor in normal operation: high-side ≈3.0 MPa(g) → saturation 52°C (=35+17); low-side ≈0.85 MPa(g) → saturation 5°C (=27−22). If measurements deviate by ±1 MPa from this range, suspect problem.
What to do: 1) Measure ambient and indoor temps, calculate expected values with the formulas above. 2) Diagnose direction based on actual vs expected. 3) Normal range varies with load (occupants, heat sources), ambient temperature, airflow — don't memorize absolute values, judge by ΔT formula.
AC vs refrigeration vs HVAC differences — why operating pressures differ
Check: AC evaporates at 5°C, medium-temp refrigeration at −5°C, low-temp at −25°C, ultra-low at −40°C. Normal low-side pressure differs completely for each. Same R-404A: medium-temp ≈0.4 MPa, low-temp ≈0.05 MPa.
What to do: 1) Confirm system application before work — nameplate 'Application' field or design docs. 2) Keep PT charts per application (digital manifolds have separate 'Refrigeration/AC' modes). 3) Diagnosing low-temp system with AC criteria always falsely indicates 'undercharge'. 4) Document system application and evaporation temp in service report.
Normal pressure is a function of 4 variables — ambient/indoor temperature, refrigerant type, system application. Standard practice: confirm all 4 each time and convert via PT chart, not memorize absolute values.
All 565 cases work offline in R-Pro, with error codes for 62 brands and P-T data for 108 refrigerants.
Open R-Pro →Related cases
- Abnormal Superheat — Low / High Diagnosis
- Superheat Hunting — TXV Oscillation
- Superheat Cannot Be Measured — Gauge or Thermometer Reliability Failure
- Abnormal Subcooling — Low / High Diagnosis
- Zero Subcooling — Continuous Bubbles in Liquid Sight Glass
- PT Chart Usage — Pressure↔Temperature Conversion Diagnosis